Invasion of Theros // Ephara, Ever-Sheltering MTG Card
2023-04-21 - Number 23s
2023-04-21 - Number 23
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Battle — Siege |
| Abilities | Transform |
Text of card
(As a Siege enters, choose an opponent to protect it. You and others can attack it. When it's defeated, exile it, then cast it transformed.) When Invasion of Theros enters the battlefield, search your library for an Aura, God, or Demigod card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
Cards like Invasion of Theros // Ephara, Ever-Sheltering
Invasion of Theros is an intriguing contribution to the Magic: The Gathering card pool. Its traits resonate with cards like Enthralling Victor and Act of Treason which commandeer the control of enemy creatures. Nevertheless, Invasion of Theros exhibits unique qualities in amplifying creatures’ power and toughness, setting it apart from these similar cards.
Diverting our focus, we stumble upon another parallel with Threaten. Threaten similarly gains control of an adversary’s creature and enhances its attributes, albeit, for a limited period of one turn only. While it profits from cheaper casting cost, it lacks the capacity of Invasion of Theros in terms of potential long-term effects.
Another equivalent yet distinct card, Mass Mutiny lets a player gain control of a creature from each opponent, offering board control and strength, but missing the stat boost Invasion of Theros furnishes. Of note, it’s costlier and lacks the bonus abilities of the Theros block card.
Ultimately, Invasion of Theros shines brightly within the spectrum of control-switching spells in Magic: The Gathering, due to its unique ability to control, strengthen, and persistently enhance a creature, thus offering a strategic advantage in gameplay.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Invasion of Theros card lets you bring a creature or enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand, giving you card advantage. Drawing from the past can become the winning strategy as the tide of battle shifts.
Resource Acceleration: The timing of its ability is crucial. Playing at the beginning of every upkeep, it quickly accelerates your resources. It keeps the game’s momentum in your favor, supplying your army or fueling potent enchantments.
Instant Speed: As an enchantment, Invasion of Theros doesn’t have the instant speed feature. Yet, its triggered ability at every upkeep keeps your opponents guessing. Moreover, strategizing the best moment to call upon a creature’s return or power up enchantments mimics the surprise effect of an instant speed card.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Invasion of Theros inflicts upon its players a demanding stipulation – the jettisoning of a hand-held card. This intensifies the hardship when players are grappling with limiting resources, therefore it’s imperative to manage your cards wisely.
Specific Mana Cost: Making the strategic nuances of this card more challenging, Invasion of Theros necessitates a particular mana color, white, forcing it to be predominantly used in decks that facilitate this requirement. Hence, its potential for broader applicability gets somewhat restrained.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Scaling at the upper end of the mana spectrum with a cost of seven, Invasion of Theros may be considered an expensive trade commitment. While the card does provide distinct advantages, the elevated cost could serve as a major setback when comparing it with other cards that provide more accessible ways of resource accrual.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Invasion of Theros is a dynamic piece fitting into many deck types, making it a valuable player in a variety of strategies. With its knack for influencing battlefield dynamics, this card moulds itself seamlessly into your deck regardless of the strategy you employ.
Combo Potential: Enhanced strategies are at your disposal with Invasion of Theros. When coupled with other cards that have synergies, it can create powerful combinations to outwit opponents. The potential to result in a mega-ramp or game-changing advantage only amplifies its irresistibility.
Meta-Relevance: Adaptable to the current meta, Invasion of Theros comes into its own in a field dominated by mid-range or control strategies. The advantage that this card provides, in such contexts, can be significant to the outcome of the game, making it an investment-worthy part of your collection.
How to beat
Invasion of Theros is a renowned card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its imperative ability to generate an array of all-powerful creatures. To successfully combat this card, an acute understanding of its features is required. Similar to Swell of Growth, both cards provide an immense power-up to creatures on the battlefield; however, Invasion of Theros also lets you enlist a Heroic creature of immense magnitude.
We also find Phalanx Leader, another noteworthy card when discussing Invasion of Theros. Phalanx Leader just like Invasion, provides a power boost to creatures. The Leader, though, does it with only two mana, making it much more cost-effective. On the flip side, it doesn’t facilitate the summoning of dominant creatures like Invasion of Theros.
In conclusion, a clear victory against Invasion of Theros lies majorly in the strategic dismantling of its strengths. It’s important to swiftly trump the powerful creatures it spews out and also keep a close check on the smaller creatures that benefit from its power-up. Implement these tactics, and have an upper hand in a matchup involving Invasion of Theros.
BurnMana Recommendations
Understanding the nuances of MTG can lead to building decks that are not only formidable but also carry your personal touch of strategy. With the Invasion of Theros card offering unique advantages from card retrieval to resource acceleration, it’s clear that its utility in game can be pivotal. Knowing when to leverage its power can turn the tides in your favor and intimidate your opponents. Dive deeper into your deck’s potential by fine-tuning it with cards like Invasion of Theros and claim victory. Immerse yourself in the strategic depths of MTG with us and discover how to conquer the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Invasion of Theros // Ephara, Ever-Sheltering MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine Promos and March of the Machine, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Invasion of Theros // Ephara, Ever-Sheltering and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Invasion of Theros // Ephara, Ever-Sheltering Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-04-21 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by Johan Grenier.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine Promos | PMOM | 23s | 2015 | Transform | Black | Johan Grenier | |
| 2 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine | MOM | 23 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Johan Grenier |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Invasion of Theros // Ephara, Ever-Sheltering has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Invasion of Theros // Ephara, Ever-Sheltering card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-04-14 | A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. |
| 2023-04-14 | A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. |
| 2023-04-14 | A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” |
| 2023-04-14 | A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. |
| 2023-04-14 | As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. |
| 2023-04-14 | Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. |
| 2023-04-14 | Damage dealt to Ephara is tracked even if Ephara has indestructible. For example, if Ephara is dealt what would be lethal damage and later loses indestructible (perhaps because you lose control of some enchantments), it will be destroyed the next time state-based actions are performed. However, the check for whether a creature dealt damage by a source with deathtouch is destroyed happens only the first time that state-based actions are performed after that damage-dealing event. |
| 2023-04-14 | Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. |
| 2023-04-14 | If Ephara enters the battlefield under your control at the same time as other enchantments, its last ability will trigger for each of those other enchantments. |
| 2023-04-14 | If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. |
| 2023-04-14 | If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. |
| 2023-04-14 | If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. |
| 2023-04-14 | If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). |
| 2023-04-14 | If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. |
| 2023-04-14 | If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. |
| 2023-04-14 | In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. |
| 2023-04-14 | Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. |
| 2023-04-14 | Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” |